Popular Christian author and Columbia International University alumnus Philip Yancey will be the speaker at CIU's December commencement exercises.

Yancey is the author of 20 books that explore the questions faced by most Christians and include "Where Is God When It Hurts," "Disappointment with God," and "Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?" He drew heavily from his CIU background in developing "The Student Bible," a best-selling edition of the Bible with study notes. Yancey's books have won 13 Gold Medallion Awards from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, and have sold more than 15 million copies.

A native of Atlanta, Yancey met his wife, Janet Norwood at CIU, and went on to earn graduate degrees in Communications and English from Wheaton College Graduate School and the University of Chicago. He joined the staff of "Campus Life" Magazine in 1971, and worked there as editor and then publisher.

In 1978, Yancey became a full-time writer, initially working as a journalist for such varied publications as "Reader's Digest," "Publisher's Weekly," "National Wildlife," and "The Christian Century." For many years he wrote a monthly column for "Christianity Today" magazine, which he still serves as editor at large.

When the Yanceys left CIU they planned to serve as missionaries to Europe. Today they travel extensively to other countries, supporting the primary missionary work of Philip's books, which have been translated into 35 languages.

The Yanceys live in Colorado where they enjoy hiking, wildlife, and the Rocky Mountains.

Commencement is scheduled for Dec. 17 at 11 a.m. in Shortess Chapel on the campus of CIU. The public is invited to attend.